


When they found out...

by Ms_prawo_jazdy



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Antisemitism, Bisexual Disaster Tommy Shelby, Bisexual Tommy Shelby, Canon-Typical Violence, Family Drama, Fluff and Smut, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, My First Smut, Period-Typical Homophobia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2020-07-25 13:07:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20026324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ms_prawo_jazdy/pseuds/Ms_prawo_jazdy
Summary: A fic of each Shelby family member discovering the true nature of Tommy and Alfie's relationship as they both try to hide it. Everyone is still living in the Shelby house or at least staying there in Birmingham while this is taking place. Timeline might be a bit wonky compared to the show but eh, it is fanfiction after all!





	1. John

John found out first. Alfie had come up from London spontaneously, a dangerous mistake. Birmingham was far smaller than London, gossip traveled faster here, especially about a Shelby. They had been so careful for so long, it had been almost eight months since they began whatever it was they were doing and no one but Alfie’s housekeeper had any idea. 

And now John. 

When he burst through the office door Tommy was seated on his desk with Alfie between his knees, their bodies pressed against each other. Tommy’s suit jacket and waistcoat were already discarded on the floor and the top buttons of his shirt were popped open revealing his long pale neck flickering with light from the fireplace. One of Alfie’s hands was tangled in Tommy’s hair while the other rested on his hip, thumb hooked into the top of Tommy’s pants. At the sound of the door Tommy pushed on Alfie’s chest and tried leaping to his feet but was not fast enough. Alfie staggered on his bad leg and grabbed his cane at the same time to steady himself. Tommy was able to twist to face John but was still trapped damningly close to Alfie as he struggled to step away. 

They were flush faced, swollen lipped, and glassy eyed. Only low candles burned giving the office a romantic and hushed atmosphere, an open bottle of rum and half eaten dinner sat on the desk behind them.. They were simply caught. Johns mouth dropped open and he stammered trying to understand his shock while looking from one guilty face to another. 

¨Wha- what the hell is this?!” John was able to finally spit out. Tommy moved quickly to the door John had just come through and pulled it closed. The lock was still busted from when Sabini’s men attempted to toss the place early that week. Another dangerous, stupid mistake.  
¨Now just keep your voice down John, don’t over react.” Tommy tried to say with a calm voice but he could hear the panic as plain as anyone.  
John immediately drew his gun and pointed it directly at Alfie. 

“Did you do something to Tommy? Did you do something to my brother you kike son of a bitch!” He was near shouting but still totally unsure, the gun shook in his hand. 

“Better put that away boyo, or I’ll be feeding it to you.” Alfie warned taking a few swift steps forward while choking up his ring covered hand on his heavy cane. Tommy watched all the brutal possibilities play out in his head. As much as he had come to trust Alfie he couldn’t turn his back on his violent tendencies. They were both bad men and would kill if pushed, Alfie quicker than Tommy. 

“Put the gun down John, no one made me do anything.” Tommy said stepping forward with a hand out, his face betraying his fear of this getting out of hand and blood being shed under his calm visage. He did not want to be responsible for either of them getting hurt. 

¨So what? You’re just...kissing Alfie Solomons?” There was a beat of silence while John watched Tommy’s eyes meet Alfie’s and then dart back to his brother. Tommy was sizing up the situation. Was there a convincing enough lie he could tell? What would be the point of lying if they were just going to continue anyway? 

¨Oh he’s been doing far more than that.” Alfie grinned manically. Well the settled it, no point in lying now. John’s face contorted as the implications dawned on him and for an instant he was distracted. Alfie struck, swinging his cane and crashing into the arm still pointing the gun at him. John yelped in pain and dropped to one knee sending the gun skittering across the floor. Alfie went to take another swing down on the kneeling man's skull when Tommy caught the weapon in the air.

¨Enough.¨ Tommy ordered. Alfie realized he was about to beat his lover’s younger brother to death in front of him and, amazingly, was able to pull back. Nothing could neutralize his rage faster than Tommy. He let the demons in his mind retreat and dropped the tip of the cane back to the floor with a satisfying clack. 

¨Dont draw a gun less you mean to use it lad.” Alfie admonished quietly. Tommy helped his brother up and into the desk chair. He gingerly cradled his arm. It looked as if Alfie had broken it. 

¨What the hell Tommy? What in the bloody hell?”John kept repeating looking up to his older sibling for reassurance that he hadn't seen what he just saw. John who was perpetually on Tommy’s side and admired him far more than he should, sweet John. Tommy swallowed hard. 

¨Fine, look,” Tommy swallowed, “It’s … I've been seeing Alfie for a while now.” Tommy admitted while fishing his cigarettes from his pocket.

¨What do you mean seeing him? You’re a queer now Tommy? And with him?!”John said pointing at Alfie whos annoyance and anger bubbled just under the surface.

¨I think you can do better than this Tommy.” Tommy heard Alfie growl. ¨What about Grace? I know you like girls, you were fucking married! You have a son!”

¨John-

¨Does Arthur know about this? Can't imagine he would approve buggering a business partner, or buggering anyone for that matter.¨ John was close to laughing at the absurdity of the situation, damn close to hysterical.  
¨Listen, no one knows about this.¨

"And what do you think is going to happen when people find out?¨ John bit back leaning forward in the chair wrapping his body around his broken arm, rocking slightly. Tommy rolled his eyes and walked to the desk. He produced a bottle of whiskey from the top drawer, his preferred liquor, and poured two glasses. He brought one to John and passed it off to his uninjured hand. 

¨Let me worry about that.” Tommy said cooley, lifting the whiskey to his lips. John did the same but downed the entire glass in one gulp. 

¨I don't think you are worried about it. Not enough anyway. You are putting the entire Peaky Blinders at risk with this...deviant behavior. Hell you could go to jail, hard labor! And for what? It’s not like you could possibly be in love with-” Tommy’s eyes shot away from his brother at that moment and focused on the floor. He swallowed hard and let out a long huff of smoke like he had been holding his breath. A lump caught in John’s throat. ¨Holy mother of god, you are in love with him.” John muttered, holding his whiskey glass out for a refill. 

¨Alfie, head back to the hotel. I’ll see you in a bit.” Tommy said as he refilled John’s glass. “I think I’ve got things handled here. I want to talk to my brother alone.”

¨If I don't hear from you in the next hour I’m coming to find you, right?¨ Alfie barked, mostly at John. He didn't trust what was going on. His brothers loved Tommy to be fair but John was right. If anyone knew the head of the Peaky Blinders was a poof every two bit criminal in Birmingham would be coming after what they assumed would be an easy target. Not to mention the laws against what they were doing, it added another layer of vulnerability to Tommy’s relationship with the Birmingham cops as well. 

¨Fair.” Tommy said with a nod. Alfie crossed the room and cupped a hand around Tommy’s jaw. Ignoring John’s presence entirely he stared into Tommy’s eyes for a brief but still too long moment. A rare smile crossed Tommy’s face and he felt tears pricking behind his eyes but forced them back. It was a relief. A little ball of anxiety that Tommy hadn’t had the time to recognize and name uncoiled inside him. Eight months of wondering and there was the answer. They loved one another, it was about more than just business and fucking. John stared at the floor shaking his head in disbelief before Alfie let his arm fall from Tommy’s face and squeezed his hand instead of an embrace. He then furiously stalked out of the office, leaving the two brothers alone with their drink in the fading stuccato of his cane. 

¨You need to end this.¨ John finally broke the silence that had been hanging in the room like a condemned man. ¨It needs to end now.¨

¨You don't tell me what to do, John.¨ Tommy retorted, releasing cigarette smoke out in one exasperated breath.

¨Tommy, I’m worried about you. This is...insane! Aside from Alfie Solomons being a violent psychopathic gangster there is the family to think of and your own bloody neck. You do know what they do to blokes like you and Alfie? Hm?” John nearly shrieked then drained another whiskey. 

¨That was going to happen anyway ̈ Tommy countered with a mild smile at the implied violence. He leaned forward from his perch on the desk and refilled John’s drink again. ¨I’m not going to stop seeing Alfie. All I am going to do is ask you to not spread this around, I’m not going to do anything more about it. I trust you to protect this family in anyway you know how, and that includes protecting me.¨

¨What about Arthur?¨

¨What about him?¨

¨Don't you think he ought to know about this?”

¨No, not particularly.¨ Tommy sighed after a moment. Arthur hated Alfie from day one, this wouldn't do much to fix relations between them.

¨Did Grace know? Did you tell her you fucked blokes?¨

¨She knew,” Tommy nodded. He picked up his waistcoat from the floor and slung it over his shoulders in one smooth movement and tossed the cigarette butt into the heavy glass ashtray on the desk. He leaned against the edge of the desk, facing John. ¨There have been others, men and women. Before Alfie, before Grace. Hiding this is nothing new to me John. I've made it this far.¨ 

¨I’m going to tell Arthur, Tommy. He should know what we are dealing with, if this is what you insist on doing well...Arthur and I need to talk about it. Hell, maybe Polly to.¨ Tommy stared hard at John, his face suddenly blank, a swell of rage hidden behind a mask of calm. 

¨That a threat John? You planning to push me out because of this?” Tommy suddenly seemed to tower over the injured man, his anger rising. ¨Should I have let Alfie beat your brains in or are you my brother?¨ 

¨I’m saying maybe we can help you with this Tommy!¨

¨The only help I need is for business to continue as usual.¨ Tommy then flicked his jacket over his shoulders, turning his back on John. He grabbed his cap from the desk and pulled on his greatcoat.

̈ ̈Maybe all this has something to do with what happened in France?! Maybe it can be fixed with help. A psycho-analyst or something.¨ John pleaded, the pain from his broken arm starting to seep into his voice. 

¨John, the last time I’m going to say it. Leave it alone. I can only protect you from Alfie if you use your head and just drop it.¨

¨Is THAT a threat Tommy?¨ John’s eyes were wide with disbelief, Tommy pulled the peak cap down over his devastating eyes.

¨Yeah, it is.¨ Tommy snatched the whiskey bottle off the table, dropping it into his great coat pocket and then left the office.

After a trip to the hospital to have his arm looked to and eventually set in a cast, John lumbered into the Shelby house. It was already 3am when John passed Tommy’s room and saw it was still empty. He hadn't been able to get what he walked in on out of his mind all night, not even after the blessing of morphine. Seeing the bed empty now he felt his stomach lurch. It was still all so unreal.  
John hurried down the hallway and got into the room he shared with Esme and their newborn child. She was up with the infant, feeding him by the fireplace and singing in Romani quietly. She smiled when she saw John come in the room but it turned to a frown when she saw the arm. 

¨What is this?”She said nodding to the arm.

¨Clean break, it’s been a long night.” he ran his free hand over his face in exhaustion. He came up and kissed Esme gently. 

¨Tell me what happened. I thought you were going to go see Tommy. Did he do this?” She sounded incredulous. It occurred to John that even Esme knew that the brothers would never intentionally hurt one another, that it was a basic tenant of the Peaky Blinders. But John felt weighed down by his new knowledge and he had to tell someone, anyone, what he knew. 

¨Esme, did you ever know anyone … fuck...uh… did you ever know any man who preferred the company of other men…..over women I mean.” 

¨Of course,” She responded blandly with a shrug. ¨We don't care about that as you English do.¨Ah, one of Esmeś favorite phrases. Well isn't life among the gypos just grand. Maybe there was too much gypsy in Tommy. 

¨Tommy is seeing a man.¨ Immediately he regretted saying it but Esme just nodded. 

¨Is he nice?¨

¨What?¨

¨The man Tommy is with, is he nice?”

¨No? I-I don't know.¨ John responded stunned by her nonchalance. 

¨Well if he is happy then good.¨ She removed the baby from her breast and pulled her nightgown up to cover herself. She stood and bounced the baby, patting and rubbing his back. ¨Grace has been gone for a while now, I’m sure he’s lonely.¨ 

¨Yeah, I guess he is.” John admitted remembering the smile Tommy gave Alfie. He hadn't seen a smile like that on his older brother since before Grace died, hell maybe before the war. 

¨And Charlie is going to need another parent, Tommy can’t do it all.” 

¨Parent? Oh come on now Esme, two men raising a child?”

¨Well yes, I told you, my people are not so upset by this. It is natural. Some men do this.”She said and laid the baby down in his bassinet. John yawned and shook his head. Tonight was already too strange. He pulled his clothing off, Esme helping with his injured arm, and climbed into bed. He dropped his casted arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. 

¨They seem to,” John began to add, tensing his body, ¨They seem to love one another.” John muttered into Esme’s sweet-smelling hair. 

¨That’s lovely.” She muttered as she fell asleep. 

¨Yeah, It was kinda lovely.”

¨Still don't know what that has to do with the arm.¨

¨I guess I overreacted,” John admitted. 

Tommy was surprised when he returned to the house and nothing was different. Everyone was up, talking and eating breakfast like normal and no one seemed to care that Tommy had come home. Even Charlie, his small son, was gurgling away being spoon-fed oatmeal by Esme as her own child slumbered nearby rocked by her foot in a bed on the floor. John had lied about his injury, claiming he drank too much and fell off a horse in a misguided nighttime ride. While John was embellishing the story to the delight of Arthur and Finn, Esme locked eyes with Tommy when he came in and gave him a sweet knowing smile. Tommy couldn't help but smile back. He felt light, comfortable in his own skin for the first time in a long time. So one person knew, but Arthur didn't react to his homecoming and John just nodded to Tommy to acknowledge his presence without any indication of what had happened last night. Tommy smiled again, grabbed a cup of tea and headed up to his room to clean up and change.  
After a shave and some new clothes, there was a knock on his door and John came in.  
¨Hey, Tommy, I didn’t-”

¨I figured.¨ 

¨Esme and I talked about it last night and she was… well she’s happy for you and it made me think I should be too. I still don’t understand it but I guess I don’t need to. But you still need to tell Arthur.” Tommy sighed and rolled his eyes at his brother. 

¨Why the fuck would I do that John?”

¨This is serious now, right?” John said quietly. ¨What kind of future can it have without the family knowing about it? And when it does finally come out, how is Arthur going to take being left in the dark so long?” 

¨Do you think Alfie and I are gonna settle down? Get married or something John? No, there is no reason for this to be made into more than it is.”  
¨You love each other.¨ John responded, ¨How can you not plan for a future with-¨

¨It isn't an option.¨ Tommy tried to say impart anger in his voice but all he heard was sad resignation, a fact that surprised both him and his brother.

¨Esme said that the gypos-¨

¨Oh so Alfie and I are going to move into the caravans are we?” Tommy asks incredulously with a scoff while tying his tie. 

¨But-¨

¨Last night you were ready to unseat me as unfit to head the Peaky Blinders because I was sharing my bed with a man and now you are trying to get me fucking married off to him? Christ John do you want more responsibility around here? Is that it?¨

¨I know you’re pissy about all this but you've got to tell Arthur, tha’s all I mean.” John said raising his hands in surrender to Tommy. ¨Think about it rationally. This is a liability, any relationship is, Arthur needs to know. Look what happened with Grace.” There was a pregnant pause, he knows he has gone too far the moment he says it, but it has to be said. Grace was murdered for being the wife of the head of the Peaky Blinders, and that put Tommy down for a lot longer than anyone expected, what would happen this time? 

¨Grace-” 

¨I’m sorry Tommy, sore spot, I know, I didn't mean anything by it. Just-talk to him.¨ John stood to leave, ¨Maybe do it when Alfie is back in London though.”


	2. Polly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another rough revelation when Polly pretty much repeats Jon's spiel but with added emotional baggage.

Polly was drinking tea with whiskey at the front window. Waiting. It was softly raining, the kind of mist that hangs in the air that you breathe in - feeling clean and cool, cleansing from the inside. She took a deep breath of the atmosphere, smelled the ozone smell of the rain while remembering the Tommy she had hurt so many years ago.

What could she do until he got to the house? Whisper apologies to the ether apparently. He had been maybe 15 years old, still small, a late bloomer they called him, when she had caught him in the alley with the neighbor boy. What was that boy's name? She couldn't remember. She remembered he was older than Tommy and this galled her, but not so much older. Maybe 18? He seemed so much like a man at that moment but her memory reported back a kid, like Tommy. She had pulled them apart, desperately looking around to see if there were any faces pressed in any windows before she had backhanded the bigger boy. Her ring had left a slice on the kid's face and he had run off crying while she yelled... she yelled something after him.

She squeezed her eyes together tightly trying to recall something that was so long ago, something she'd actively worked to forget.

She had roughly pulled Tommy by his elbow, dragging him down the suddenly loud and busy street until the arrived home. She yanked the door open and physically tossed him into the house, slamming the door closed behind her. Only then did she noticed how disheveled he was, his shirt hanging out of his trousers, misbuttoned shirt, and a wine-dark bruise growing on his neck.

She hadn't needed to say anything. The look of fear and shame on his face had broken her. He got to his feet and ran off into the bathroom slamming the door shut.

Polly remembered going to the door and slamming her hand on the grainy wood. "Tommy! Tommy come out here this instant!" No response. He hadn't reappeared until dinner when he was safely couched among his siblings. Polly would never confront him over something like this at the dinner table. He knew he was safe but still studiously avoided her eyes and practically ran to bed before she could get a word. She stood in the doorway of the bedroom, her silhouette casting a long shadow onto Tommy's bed. He had turned his back to the door, completely shut down, hiding with a blanket over his head.

"Tommy, you - you know you can't- Tommy I - "

"I know Aunt Pol,"

"If your father found out-."

"I know Aunt Pol."

"I love you, Tommy."

"I know, I love you too Aunt Pol."

Here she was again, decades later and she had to have this talk again with Tommy. Hopefully, it'll be more in-depth. She began to hope he wouldn't come home at all but a black car pulled up. The rain made it more difficult to see who he was with until there was a flash of a white scarf against the dark interior along with perhaps the outline of the bobbing of a wide-brimmed hat. She flexed her hands and let out a deep shaking breath. She lit a cigarette.

She was on her second cigarette and drained a second cup of tea by the time he finally exited the car and headed to the door, hat in his hand. The door opened and closed and she could hear him humming to himself, pulling off his wet wool coat. He seemed in a good mood and Polly almost aborted her mission..

"Tom, in here," Pol called from the parlor, lighting another lamp to brighten the room.

"Pol, what are you still doing up." Tom stepped into the light and yawned. He wasn't a boy anymore but he looked just as pawed and redressed he did when he was 15. 

"Waiting for you." She said matter of factly, opening a whiskey decanter and pouring a drink for him.

"What now?" He looked at her sideways with a feint of anxiety and she returned with a bitter smile.

"Alfie Solomons Tommy - you fucked Alfie Solomons." Tommy rolled his eyes and finally came into the parlor, taking the drink from her hand and dropping into a low chair near the stove.

"Fuck Pol - I am going to murder John."

"John didn't tell me Tommy." She lifted the tea to her lips.

"You aren't as smart as you think you are, that is one of your biggest weaknesses." She admonished and tossed one of Alfie's handkerchiefs down on the table between them along with a short, dirty, note.

"You're also a god damn slob and, since this appears to have been going on for a while based on this," she held the note up and cocked an eyebrow, making Tommy wince with embarrassment.

"So John knows which means his wife knows, no big worry there - who else?" She removed a cigarette and offered him one, he took it like a man in front of a firing squad.

"Ollie - and Alfie's housekeeper."

"Jesus Christ Tom. Which means their families, and who the hell are they? and who are they talking to?" Her voice began to rise, "This is fucking ridiculous."

"Jon gave me the outraged rant and all the drawbacks months ago Pol and it has just gotten better and better with 'im."

"Jail, reputation, ruin, murder -" Tommy stood up and she followed him around with her list, counting them off her fingers as he walked away with one hand up, one hand holding his whiskey, and a cigarette hanging from his lips.

"Polly, I'm telling you - I've heard it, I will deal with it if it becomes a problem."

"When Tommy - When it becomes a problem."

"I'm not a kid anymore." Tommy angrily said turning hard on Polly and snatching the cigarettes from his lips. "You can't grab me by the ear and threaten me with my father anymore-" It was her turn to wince, he had landed an effective blow in the tender scar she had been tending all night.

"It wasn't a threat it was a warning," She was pleading, apologizing. He tossed his hand up again and dismissing and accepting her reasoning in inebriated defeat.

"You know what he is like."

"Yeah, I know how he is," He wearily agreed. "I need to go to bed, it's been a long night." She could sense history about to repeat itself. 

"I just want you to be happy, Tommy, are you happy?" Tommy stopped and turned back, surprise on his face.

"Yea Pol," 

"Ok Tommy, I love you, Tommy." 

"I know, I love you too." 


End file.
